Healthy Fried Chicken

You can fry or oven bake this particular variety of 'fried' chicken, which is much better than any I've even eaten out, also considerably healthier I reckon. It is spicy and herby all at once (the kind of recipe that you can keep on experimenting with); and the chicken pieces taste great whether you eat them hot and straight out of the oven or have them cold the next day. Enjoy with some coleslaw and a crisp salad; or with healthy fries if you want to go really crazy. A squirt of sriracha chilli sauce is good too.

Ingredients

Free Range Chicken, 8 pieces (or whatever Chicken pieces you prefer)

2 Free Range Eggs

Extra Flour

100g Plain Flour

50g Semolina

2 tsp Paprika

Half tsp Smoked Paprika

Half tsp Cinnamon

1tsp Ground Cumin

1tsp Chilli Powder

1 tsp Garlic Powder

2 tsp Dried Oregano

Couple of large pinches Maldon Salt

Lots of Black Pepper

Either get your butcher to joint a whole Free Range Chicken, or buy it already in pieces… you can use whatever kind of meat you prefer (leg or breast). If you’re being brilliantly healthy, then skinless Chicken pieces are better – but leaving the skin on will taste good if you’re throwing cholesterol caution to the wind…

[NB If you have the time or inclination to marinade your Chicken in buttermilk overnight, before following the below steps - it will taste even better. You might not even need to use the Flour and Egg before coating the Chicken in Herbs and Spices...]

Then prepare other bowls – one with plain Flour in it and one with a couple of beaten Free Range Eggs in

Get a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper ready (or just a plate if you’re frying them)

Dunk each piece of Chicken carefully in Plain Flour; dust extra Flour off and then dunk in the beaten Egg; again shake the excess off gently and then dredge carefully in the Flour and Spice mixture, coating the Chicken evenly

If you have time to leave the coated Chicken in the fridge for a couple of hours, this would be good – but take them out again half an hour or so before you want to cook them

Heat the oven to 190˚c and cook the Chicken for 30 – 40 minutes or until the pieces are golden and crunchy looking, and the Chicken is thoroughly cooked and not at all pint when you pierce into the meat (it might take longer if your Chicken is enormous like this one was; cover very lightly with foil in the oven if you’re worried they’re browning too much while cooking)

[You could also shallow fry these pieces of Chicken with a little Olive or Rape Seed Oil... I might still finish them off in the oven, and again make sure they're cooked before eating!]

When the Healthy ‘Fried’ Chicken is cooked through, leave to stand for 10 minutes and then serve with some Ketchup or Mayonnaise…